Zinc chloride and its importance for humans

Zinc chloride is a chemical compound of two elements - chlorine and zinc - and is designated by the formula ZnCl2. This substance is a white crystal.

Zinc chloride dissolves readily enough in water - at room temperature its solubility is 80%. The chloride melts at 322 ° C, and boils at 722 ° C.

It turns out zinc chloride in two ways. The first option: zinc or its oxide is dissolved in hydrochloric acid, after which the solutions are evaporated from the resulting mixture. The second option: zinc (in the liquid state) is heated in a current of chlorine.

The hydrolysis of zinc chloride occurs over the cation and has the following formula: ZnCl2 + H2O = ZnOHCl + HCl. The medium of the resulting solution is acidic.

Industrial production of zinc chloride is available in two forms: solid and liquid. In solid form, the substance must be in the form of white scales, permissible slight coloring in any color. As a solution, the chloride must be colorless or have a faint yellowish tinge. The solution may be slightly cloudy.

In solid form, the mass fraction of chloride should not be less than 97.7%, in solution - 50%. Zinc chloride is not flammable.

The substance is extremely dangerous to the environment and man: the solid has two degree of toxicity. Substance, if ingested on the skin and mucous membranes of a human or animal, causes irritation, with prolonged contact with the skin, causes burns, corrodes tissues. The wounds formed in this way are very difficult to heal.

Danger is also the ingress of matter into the respiratory tract. In small doses, it causes perspiration in the nasopharynx and throat, dry cough. When inhaled a large amount of chloride, there may be shortness of breath and so-called bubbling breath.

When the substance gets into the eye mucosa, the victim experiences a rather intense cutting pain. If eyes are not rinsed immediately, there may be complete or partial blindness.

In view of the toxicity of zinc chloride, when transporting and using it, extreme care must be taken. Crystalline zinc chloride is packed in bags or drums of carbon steel, the solution is transported in steel drums or special tanks.

Transportation of the substance is carried out both by rail, and by road, and by sea. The substance is transported only in covered compartments and all the time of transportation the responsible person is obliged to monitor the integrity of the package.

When working with zinc chloride, workers are required to wear protective clothing, rubberized gloves, goggles and respirators appropriate for the level of substance concentration in the air.

In no event should zinc chloride be allowed to enter water bodies and sewage systems.

Zinc chloride is used in many areas of production. It is used to impregnate wooden parts for the purpose of disinfection (for example, wooden sleepers). This substance is involved in the production of fiber, many dyes, many dental cements, cotton, zinc cyanide, aluminum and even vanillin. In addition, zinc chloride is used to clean metal surfaces before painting, soldering and chrome plating. This substance plays an important role in the purification of oil, the analysis of coal samples and the manufacture of galvanic batteries.

Zinc chloride is also used for dyeing cotton, for obtaining viscose fibers, as an electrolyte for galvanizing. It is possible to use the substance in medicine - as a drug that stops decay; In gardening - as a microfertilizer.

In addition, zinc chloride, thanks to its brilliant ability to greedily absorb moisture from the air, is used as a dehumidifier. It is also irreplaceable in firefighting, as it participates in the manufacture of fire-resistant foam and impregnation of fabrics and cardboard.